Brighter Bites

For 16 weeks during the school year and seven weeks during the summer Brighter Bites provides: 1) ~25 pounds (over 50 servings) of fresh fruits and vegetables to participating families each week, 2) nutrition education taught in the classroom through a train the trainer model, as well as handbooks, recipe cards and healthy tip sheets for parents, and 3) a fun food experience consisting of a healthy recipe tasting for families to try when they pick up their produce.

Primary Intern Responsibilities include:

• Assist with distribution of Brighter Bites produce bags including: Welcoming families and providing a fun, warm environment for families to receive their bags.
• Records family participation at each distribution on rosters.
• Allow families who have checked in with program staff to take 2 bags.
• Motivates staff, volunteers, and families to try different fruits and vegetables included in the bags by encouraging them to try different recipes provided every week.
• Support Brighter Bites Nutrition Education programming: Learn the basic principles of CATCH, the nutrition education program utilized by Brighter Bites, and communicate CATCH messages to Brighter Bites participants.
• Set up CATCH Kids Corner activities and games during produce distributions to engage families with nutrition education concepts.
• During the summer, offer support to site and camp staff by delivering nutrition education mini-lessons to campers.
• Assist site staff with creating and refreshing Brighter Bites bulletin boards.
• Work and communicate effectively with Brighter Bites team, fellow interns, site contacts, volunteers, and to successfully implement the Brighter Bites program and create a health-conscious environment.
• Interns will participate and experience first hand how BB implements and provides access to fresh fruits and vegetables to families that are food insecure. Check in/register families, pack produce, distribution onsite at local elementary schools, conduct surveys.

Depending on availability + interest:

• Support administration of surveys to program participants.
• Data processing, cleaning, and entry.
• Attend meetings at Brighter Bites offices.
• Work on independent projects to improve Brighter Bites program implementation.

Expectations of Fieldwork Interns:

• Work and communicate effectively with Brighter Bites team, fellow interns, site contacts, volunteers, and to successfully implement the Brighter Bites program and create a health-conscious environment.
• Share successes and challenges for each assigned site and provide insight for improvement.

All fieldwork interns are expected to:

• Arrive on-site, stay for the duration of their shift, and perform to the best of their abilities. Come prepared having reviewed all materials delivered via email prior to the Brighter Bites program event.
• Provide at least 24 hr notice in the event of a cancellation.
• Act as representatives of Brighter Bites and are expected to be courteous, polite, and professional with Brighter Bites staff, fellow interns, partner staff, and participants.
• Interns who have excessive cancellations, repeated late arrivals, or behavior that violates Brighter Bites standards may be dismissed from the internship program and the reason for dismissal will be communicated to their professor and/or program director.

Operational and Physical Requirements: Must be able to travel independently to school sites around city area Must be able to lift produce boxes/bags weighing between 10-50 pounds each on a continuous basis.

All of the following CHHS Competencies that the student will be exposed to:

- Collaboration
- Conflict Resolution, Negotiation, & Mediation
- Cross-Cultural Competency
- Information Management
- Knowledge of Health & Human Services (SW or CH)
- Leadership
- Personal & Professional Communication
- Professional Development
- Statistics and Research Methods
- Systems Management

Basic training will be offered on the first day of service.